


Dragon's touch

by CrazyDemigod666



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-05
Updated: 2021-02-05
Packaged: 2021-03-17 08:08:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,647
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29222217
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CrazyDemigod666/pseuds/CrazyDemigod666
Summary: This is a little drabble I wrote for a prompt by @local-space-case!Prince Roman and his two loyal friends, Patton and Logan, are on the hunt for a dragon. Meanwhile, Dragonshifter!Janus is just trying to find the right herbs to cure a sick/injured Dragonshifter!Virgil. Bonus points for Anxciet and/or Protective Remus.
Relationships: Anxiety | Virgil Sanders/Deceit | Janus Sanders
Comments: 2
Kudos: 55





	Dragon's touch

**Author's Note:**

> TW: injury, mention of getting killed and hunted

“Your highness” a soldier marches into the room, politely bowing before the royal and his companions. “We have spotted them, sire. They were seen on the east end of the market near the herb stand. The spell the court magician gave us worked well enough for us to suggest this was the dragonshifter we were looking for.” 

The soldier nodded towards Patton, magic staff faintly glowing behind him. “Green scales on the left side of their face and golden eyes. Impressive glamour, but not strong enough.”

“Marvelous” crown prince Roman gets up from behind the table, rolls of parchments and maps strewn across the wooden surface. “Have you notified my brother yet?”

“I’m afraid we can’t locate sir Remus, your highness. He has not been seen since this morning.”

Roman scoffed, tidying up the table. “Typical. The man goes on quests all the time but when we’re looking for a dragon he’s nowhere to be found, just when I could use his skills.”

He sighed, turning to the soldier. “Thank you, you are dismissed.”

“Yes sire” the soldier retreats, leaving the men alone.

“Are you sure you’re alright doing this?” Logan, his trusted advisor moves around the table. “You’ve only just taken over the majority of tasks from your father, as acting king, would it be wise for you to go after a dragon on your own?”

“Well, it’s a good thing I’m not alone then”, Roman smiled at his companions, lifelong friends that shared every blessing and every tragedy with each other. Not knowing they were facing another difficult task ahead of them.

“Shall we get going then?” Patton chirped, soft blue robes flowing around him.

“After you, your highness” Logan led Roman towards the door, on their way to face a ferocious dragon.

Or so they thought.

Having tracked their suspect from the market space, they followed him into the darker parts of the woods. Roman didn’t like to do this part of his job, far from it, but as crown prince, and more importantly, as acting king, he couldn’t afford to neglect this aspect that came with the burden of the crown.

But this? Stalking a dragonshifter, the way they had to nervously glance over their shoulder, mantel fraying around the edges in a kingdom where cloth and clothing were abundant, it tugged at his heartstrings. A lonely Orpheus unable to reach his Eurydice.

As they tried to remain undetected, no doubt aided by the invisibility spell Patton put over them, they noticed the dragon passing by several ponds, crossing numerous creeks and climbing more hills and fallen trees then was necessary.

Finally they neared the foot of a mountain, seemingly trapping themselves between it and the trio behind them. Roman edged the three of them forward, assured of a secured ambush and in his hybris, neglected to see the tripwire near his ankles.

Chimes rang through the air, and the dragonshifter growled as the spell faltered, revealing his pursuers.

 _“Humansssss”_ they hissed, eyes narrowed on the men before him.

“Easy now, we don’t want to fight you”, Roman held up his hands, clear to keep his hands away from the handle of his sword. “We just want to talk.”

“Asss if” the dragon snarled. “All you want is to either hang me on your wall, or sell me for a profit.”

The dragon put the sack of herbs he was carrying behind him, safely securing it to his belt as he spread his hands, claws piercing through the glamour he couldn’t be bothered upholding anymore.

“I won’t give you that satisfaction” they growled, fangs protruding menacingly.

“We don’t want to harm you”, Patton moved forward, slowly putting his staff down on the grass. “See? We just want to talk. Okay?”

The dragon eyed them wearily. “Talk about what?”

“Well, can we start with your name? I’m Patton and thi-“

“I know who you are!” they hissed. “Crown prince Roman and his pets, Royal Advisor Logan and Court Magician Patton. State your business before I lose my patience.”

“We received reports of a dragon ravaging our fields and destroying the town of Hollowhill. You seemed to match the description, so we came to investigate”, Logan explained carefully.

“Does it look like I have the means or power to do that?” the dragon gestured towards himself and his tethered clothes. “If I had done that I could have afforded something better. So, unless you have a real crime to accuse me of, with proof, I’d rather have you leave me alone. I have done nothing unlawful, and you’re not allowed to hunt me without provocation.”

“Dragon hunting is not legal” Roman clenched his fists. “It’s forbidden, _by royal decree._ ”

“As of last month, yes, I’ve heard. Excuse me for being wary of people stalking me, especially the royals responsible for sponsoring it in the first place.”

“Roman has done what he could to make things better!” Patton defended him, not noticing the rumbling of the bushes around them.

“Wow, I am ssso grateful”, the dragon hissed back.

“Listen, we don’t need to be so hostile, sir?” Logan moved forward, hands to his sides

“Dee. You can call me Dee, cause it will be the last name you utter before I rip your throat out”, Dee lunged forward, sending Logan to the ground underneath him, claws pressed to his neck.

“Dare to even _breathe_ in my direction” Dee glanced at Roman and Patton, “and he’ll be dead in an instant.”

“Roman, just do as he says” Logan gasped as the sharp nails dug into his skin.

Reluctantly, they refrained from engaging, seeing they couldn’t find an opening to save their friend.

“Please, don’t harm him”, Patton pleaded.

“Don’t harm _him?”_ Dee scoffed. “Like how he wasn’t reaching for his dagger to gut me instead?”

Logan hadn’t even noticed his hand reaching for the weapon, let alone Dee registering it before him.

“I swear, I didn’t mean to-“

“You never do!” Janus pressed on, knee pushing onto his chest. “None of you humans ever think about your actions! You just take, and take and take, you don’t care about what happens next!”

Janus raised a hand, scales shimmering in the stray beams of light that entered through the canopy.

Roman had no choice, his body moved before he could think about what he was doing. He wrapped his hand around the hilt of his sword, gloved hand secured tight around the metal, lifting it in a swift motion towards his friend’s assailant, cold steel slicing through the air, no means of dodging it.

When the gears in his head finally started working, he expected bloodshed. He expected to have sliced the dragon in half, if not at least a head shorter than he already was. He knew the feeling of metal colliding with flesh, with wood, with bone and leather.

This, was the feeling of steel colliding with steel.

He looked up, finding the dragon scrambled back towards the mountain and instead of them underneath his sword, he recognized the insignia of his kingdom, more than the symbol of his kingdom, he recognized the shield of the royal family.

Of his brother.

“I _highly_ suggest you lower your weapon, Roman”, Remus peeked from behind the shield. “We both know I’m the better fighter.”

“Remus?” Roman breathed, hair falling in front of his face. “What are you-“

“Doing here?” his twin glared at him. “I’m protecting the innocent. What are you doing, prince Roman?”

“I-, they attacked Logan!” he defended himself.

“Ah yes”, Remus helped the advisor up, back still turned toward the dragonshifter and shield held up high. “Logan who wasn’t planning on using his weapon against them. Attacking an unarmed opponent, not very chivalrous of you, right?”

“They are anything but unarmed”, Logan rubbed around his neck, “they’re a dragon. They’re-“

“A living weapon?” Dee growled back at him, visibly shaken up.

“I didn’t say that!” Logan retorted.

“Kiddos” Patton moved in between, “let’s not escalate the situation more than it already has, okay?”

“Okay, then let them go” Remus eyed them from behind his shield. “Dee, are you hurt?”

“No, just bruised in my ego for that rescue.”

Remus snorted, looking back at them. “I’ll let you make it up to me another day.”

“You _know_ this dragon?” Roman exclaimed.

“That’s none of your business”, he replied sternly. “But if you want to arrest him, then you’ll have to go through me.”

“Remus, come now, we can talk this out” Patton coaxed him. “There’s no reason to fight.”

Roman was about to make the remark that, in fact, they were already fighting and that there were a lot of questions that needed answers, when he spotted the mountain wall behind them shimmering in the lackluster forest.

Before there was a solid wall of rock and ivy, now he started to see the edges of a cave coming into view, barely visible if you didn’t pay attention to it, until he finally saw, in the corner down below, the tip of a purple, leathery wing peek out from behind it.

“There’s another one hidden behind the rock wall!” he shouted.

In a matter of seconds, Remus and Roman had collided once again, and Dee had made another attempt of pinning Logan to the ground. Panicked by the sudden revelation, they were careless and frantic, losing their momentum and upper hand as Logan knocked them down instead.

“Patton, go!” Roman yelled as he drove his sword further onto Remus’ shield.

“No, please!” Dee pleaded from the ground as Patton dismissed the glamour hiding the cave from view.

He looked down on the dragon at his feet, crouching next to him.

Dee roared, the sound low and guttural, throwing off Logan full force and sending him flying a few feet to the side as they rushed towards the cave.

Patton raised his staff, ready to dodge an incoming attack that never came. Instead, Dee put themselves between him and the dragon, letting more and more of their dragon nature out as wings and a tail now draped over their purple companion.

“What-,”

“I’d rather _die_ than let you humans hurt him again”, Dee growled.

“Hurt him…again?” Patton stared at the dragonshifter behind them.

His brown and purple hair stuck to his face, sweat keeping it from falling down further. He laid curled up on his side, wings too big for his frail body wrapped around him as he shivered on the bed of straw and blankets. From underneath his wings, he noticed an arrow sticking into his leg, the green sanguine fluid leaking steadily from the wound it had created.

He looked _ghastly_ , and not just because he was a dragon.

“What happened to him?” he whispered eventually.

“What happened?” What. _Happened??_ ” Dee seemed to be on the verge of tears. “You _humansss_ happened! Taking everything you want, killing everything you don’t need or want around you, just for looking different from you.”

“We-, he did _nothing_ , but _exist_ , and that was reason enough for you to despise us.”

 _“Dee”_ , the dragon drawled, breath hitching as he tried to move his head.

Dee turned towards him, hand placed on his head. “I’m here, Virgil, you’re going to be okay.”

He looked back at Patton, malice leaving his voice and making way for sympathy, eyes pleading with the sorcerer.

 _“Please_ , just…just let me help him. _He’s all I have.”_

Patton glanced back at the others, now having ceased the fighting. He didn’t wait for an affirmation and sat himself down with the two dragons, putting down his staff.

“What herbs did you get? How can I help?” he offered.

“Y-you actually want to….” Dee stammered.

“Yes, I do. My healing magic isn’t the greatest, but I know enough to make do with the right ingredients”, he smiled softly.

Hesitantly, Dee let Patton assist him in removing the arrow from Virgil’s leg, grateful the dragonshifter was on one hand too weak to react to the pain, but on the other worried about the drastic state he was in.

Slowly but surely, they had cleaned up the wound, wrapping his leg up in bandages afterwards.

“Will he be okay?” Remus, Roman and Logan had joined them after a while.

“I think so” Patton answered. “The arrow was laced with a kind of poison, but I don’t know which one. I’d have to take it back to the castle to investigate, but I suspect it’s one of the illegal ones the guards have confiscated a while back.”

“Of course it is” Remus scoffed, kneeling beside the dragon. “We’ll get pay back for it, Virgie, I promise.”

He gently moved the hairs from his face, watching the man’s chest rise and fall slowly.

“Remus” Roman spoke softly. “What’s going on here, really?”

Remus continued staring at Virgil, brows furrowed with worry. “Are you asking as acting king?” he said eventually.

Roman put a hand on his shoulder, not used to this kind of familiarity. “I’m asking as your brother.”

He sat himself next to Virgil, head resting against the stone wall as he offered the others to sit down as well.

“I’ve been trying to get these two some supplies to get going for a while now. My last quest, if you care to know, was to find some ingredients for a potion for Virgil. In case you hadn’t noticed, he’s quite sick.”

They stared at the purple dragonshifter as Dee pulled up another blanket.

“They’re my friends” Remus whispered. “I’m not sorry for defending them.” He looked back at the trio.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Roman wondered.

“Why didn’t you ask?” Remus put his hands on his knees. “Father never cared about where I was. You never asked what I did when I was out. You never had the time.”

Roman cast his eyes to the ground, ashamed of the truth. “I didn’t know you were so…caring of anyone.”

“I care about Dee and Virgil because they care about me. I got more love and attention from them than from my own family.”

Logan and Patton looked at each other worriedly, sensing Roman’s guilt building up.

“So, when father was preparing to…hunt them” Roman glanced at the dragons.

“I was doing my best to protect them. Not just from us, but from everyone trying to cast them away. But I guess it wasn’t enough.”

Dee put a scaly hand on his. “You couldn’t have done anything, Remus. You already did more than you could have.”

“I thought you hated humans?” Logan asked from across the cave.

“I do” Dee spat back. “But as far as I’m concerned, Remus is more dragon than human. Dragons are loyal to their kin. I can’t say the same for the nest he came from.”

Roman sighed, staring back into the forest. “I didn’t…I didn’t know this was happening.”

“Of course you didn’t” Remus chuckled halfheartedly. “You talk to nobility, high ranking generals, kings and queens.”

He shuffled closer to the dragons. “I talk to _people._ ”

“I’m sorry.”

Dee and Remus watched him in surprise.

“I’m sorry for being a second rate prince, and even more for being such a lousy brother”, he clenched his fists.

“Roman” Logan put a hand on his shoulder. “You did what you could. You didn’t know.”

“But I should have”, he snapped back. “A good king would have known. Remus did.”

Remus crossed his arms. “Don’t do that.”

“Do what?”

“Blame yourself for the misery our family has brought to this land for generations. We can’t change centuries worth of problems just like that.”

“Perhaps not” he looked back at his twin. “But I can make an effort. Starting with being a better brother.”

Roman then let his eyes rest back upon the injured dragon, seeing how much effort Dee and Remus had put into keeping him safe.

“And starting with being a better king.”


End file.
